49ers' Kaepernick, Panthers' Newton on collision course

SANTA CLARA -- Roommates at the 2011 scouting combine, Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton will share a field -- and the weight of playoff expectations -- Sunday when the 49ers host the Carolina Panthers.

Evaluations of both quarterbacks remain en vogue like back at that pre-draft combine in Indianapolis.

"I think Kap is a little better," 49ers running back Frank Gore said Wednesday. "He can throw better than Cam. Both run the ball well and both are big guys.

"But I'm not saying Cam's not a good player. Both are good players."

Both have their teams in the NFC playoff picture. The 49ers (6-2) are coming off a bye with a five-game win streak in tow. The Panthers (5-3) have won four straight and are bidding for their first winning season since 2008.

That's quality progress compared to where these franchises were before the 2011 draft, in which Newton went No. 1 overall and Kaepernick fell to No. 36.

Coach Jim Harbaugh recalled Wednesday how much he admired both quarterbacks coming out of college, even bringing up the "plutonium-grade raw material" adjective he used to describe Newton in March 2011, after their meeting at the combine.

Harbaugh then revealed how his father-in-law stumped for Newton, "adamant" that he was the "future of the NFL."

The 49ers weren't in position to move up to No. 1 in the draft, however, which was fine for another member of the coach's family. "My father Jack was championing Colin Kaepernick," Harbaugh said.

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Kaepernick said he hasn't kept in touch with Newton since those days sharing a room at the combine. Back then, Newton was coming off Auburn's national title run and the Heisman Trophy while Kaepernick was moving on from a record-setting career at Nevada.

"He's a good guy," Kaepernick said. "How people look at him is different from how he really is."

Condemned in the past for his body language, Newton has made great strides in terms of maturity and continuity, according to Panthers coach Ron Rivera.

"He handles ups and downs much better," Rivera said on a media conference call. "Some things were overwhelming. People don't understand the pressure ... to be in the spotlight."

Ted Ginn Jr. might be the foremost authority on the NFL's new-breed, dual-threat quarterbacks. After participating in Colin Kaepernick's emergence last season en route to the Super Bowl, Ginn is flourishing as one of Cam Newton's top targets this season with the Panthers.

"They both have something lot people don't have, and they use it: Speed," Ginn said Wednesday on a media conference call ahead of Sunday's game at Candlestick Park. "They can run. A lot of quarterbacks don't run like these guys. Being able to have speed and read-option (plays) makes them be a little different."

Both quarterbacks are their respective teams' second-leading rusher: Kaepernick has 49 carries for 294 yards (6.0 average) and three touchdowns, and Newton has 55 carries for 251 yards (4.6 average) and four touchdowns. They rank as fourth and seventh among quarterbacks in rushing yards, respectively.

Passing-wise, Newton is putting up better numbers than Kaepernick. Newton is completing 64.4 percent of his passes (154-of-239) for 1,801 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions; Kaepernick is completing 57.1 percent (113-of-198 for 1,584 yards) with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

Harbaugh said of New\ton: "He continues to grow and blossom into a top-shelf quarterback."

Both quarterbacks are excelling on third downs: Newton leads the league with a 120.4 rating, Kaepernick ranks fourth at 101.2.

Does it bother Kaepernick that the 49ers rank last in passing (189.9 yards per game) but first in rushing (153.0)?

"No, we're winning games," Kaepernick responded. "Teams ahead of us are doing better passing-wise, but they're not better than us record-wise."

One such team is Newton's Panthers, who rank 25th and are one win shy of the 49ers' total.